He was still there when I was coming back to the hotel. That meant that in the last five hours he sold only two bags of apples, 20 UAH each. So he earnt 40 UAH. 6 PLN. 2 USD. 1,5 EUR.

I walked slowly because a moment earlier I’ve slipped on the ice coverd by the fresh snow and fell. He has caught my eyesight from the crowd of bypassers and with implorig tone of the voice he asked me to buy the apples. I wanted to buy them already earlier but somehow I couldn’t really decide. The most difficult for me is to help so much face to face. Meet human deprived of dignity and look him into the eyes. I am afraid not to deprive his dignity even more. I feel like a bull in a china shop. Same like with those grannies selling flowers.

He was some 13-14 years old. Shivering with cold. I checked. The temperaturę that night was -9 degrees. He had numb hands, blue with cold and eyesight of a scared animal, deprived of any defence mechanisms.

I paid for the apple well, although I don’t know how much is well. With hesitation in his voice, he asked how much should he give me back. I smiled in return and squatted in order to pack the apples. Damn apples which didn’t allow him to move away from there!

Who are the grown-ups whose childhood looks like the story of a boy with the apples?